An-Nasr (The Victory): (3) So glorify the praise of your Lord...

Issue 1: The Order of Glorification, Praise, and Seeking Forgiveness

The Almighty commanded: {So glorify the praise of your Lord, and seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.} (110:3)

There are several points regarding this sequence:

The delay of victory for years, despite the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) being on the truth, could weigh heavily on the heart, leading to thoughts like: "If I am on the truth, why am I not victorious, and why are these disbelievers empowered over me?"

1. Glorification (Tasbīh): This serves as a rebuttal to such thoughts.
   • According to our view (Ash'ari/Maturidi): Glorification means declaring God free (transcendent) from deserving anything from anyone. Everything He does is by divine will, and He does what He wills, how He wills. Thus, glorification clears God of being obligated to anyone.
   • According to the Mu'tazila: The purpose of glorification is to make the servant realize that the delay was due to wisdom and benefit, not due to stinginess or preferring falsehood over truth.
2. Praise (Hamd): After clearing God of what is unsuitable, the servant engages in praising Him for the favors and kindness bestowed.
3. Seeking Forgiveness (Istighfār): Only then does the servant engage in seeking forgiveness for their own sins.

There are two paths for spiritual travelers:

1. "I see nothing except that I see God after it." (Focusing on the effect leading to the cause).
2. "I see nothing except that I see God before it." (Focusing on the cause preceding the effect).

The second path is more complete:

• In terms of wisdom (Hikmah): Descending from the Cause (Mū'aththir) to the Effect (Athar) is a higher rank than ascending from the Effect to the Cause.
• In terms of spiritual discipline (Riyāḍāt): The source of light is the Necessary Existent (Wājib al-Wujūd), while the source of darkness is the possible existent (Mumkin al-Wujūd). Immersion in the former is inherently nobler.
• In terms of proof: Inferring from the origin (Asl) to the derivative (Tabi') is stronger than inferring from the derivative to the origin.

The verse indicates this nobler path because it prioritizes engaging with the Creator (God) over engaging with the self (the creation). It mentions two aspects concerning the Creator first: Glorification and Praise. The third stage, Seeking Forgiveness, is a state mixed with attention to both the Creator and the creation.

Further detail on attributes: God's attributes are categorized into negations (Sālb) and affirmations (Ījāb). Negations precede affirmations.

• Glorification (Tasbīh): Points to the negative attributes of the Necessary Existent (Attributes of Majesty/Jalāl).
• Praise (Hamd): Points to the affirmative attributes (Attributes of Honor/Ikrām). The Qur'an indicates that Majesty precedes Honor.

After mentioning these two types of knowledge concerning God, the verse descends to seeking forgiveness, which involves recognizing the self's shortcomings, recognizing God's bounty, and seeking what is best and most perfect for the self. Since preoccupation with anything other than God prevents one from contemplating God's Majesty, the mention of seeking forgiveness is delayed until after glorification and praise.

This sequence guides humanity to emulate the angels, as the highest rank of one type connects to the lowest rank of the type above it (the highest of humanity connects to the lowest of angels).

The angels said: {And we glorify the praise of Your Lord and sanctify You.} (2:30)

• {So glorify the praise of your Lord} here points to emulating the angels' statement: {And we glorify the praise of Your Lord}.
• {And seek His forgiveness} points to their statement: {and sanctify You} (wa nuqaddisu lak). The meaning of sanctification (taqdīs) is interpreted as purifying oneself for the sake of God's pleasure, which aligns with the meaning of seeking forgiveness.

Alternative interpretation: Perhaps the angels claimed to glorify God based on their own actions, whereas the Prophet (PBUH) is commanded to glorify God and seek forgiveness while recognizing that such obedience stems only from God's success (Tawfīq) and grace.

Another possibility: The angels said, {And we glorify the praise of Your Lord and sanctify You}, and God said concerning them: {And they seek forgiveness for those who believe} (40:7). Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) is commanded to seek forgiveness for those who enter Islam in droves, just as the angels seek forgiveness for the believers, saying: {Our Lord, forgive those who have repented and followed Your path} (40:9).

1. Glorification (Tasbīh): Means purification. It could mean: "Purify the Ka'bah from idols and break them."
2. {with the praise of your Lord}: Your undertaking of this purification should be through seeking God's praise, aid, and strength.
3. {and seek His forgiveness}: After performing this obedience, you should not see yourself as having fulfilled what is due; rather, you must see yourself as deficient in that state and seek forgiveness for that shortcoming in obedience.

This verse serves as a reminder that one is never free from the obligation of servitude, whether one is infallible or not:

• If you are infallible, engage in Glorification and Praise.
• If you are not infallible, engage in Seeking Forgiveness. This is similar to the command: {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty [of death]} (15:99).

Issue 2: The Meaning of Glorification (Tasbīh)

There are two main views:

1. Declaring God transcendent (Tanzīh): This means declaring God free from every defect. The root word (Sabaḥa) implies swimming in water (or flying in air), where the swimmer controls their movement to avoid sinking or contamination. The emphasis (Tashdīd) implies extreme removal: you remove God far from anything unsuitable for Him. This usage is appropriate for declaring God free from unsuitable attributes of Essence, Action, affirmation, or negation, just as water is inherently pure and cannot accept impurity. This covers transcendence in Essence, Attributes, and Actions.
2. Prayer (Ṣalāh): This word is used in the Qur'an to mean prayer, as in: {So exalt [Him] when you enter evening and when you reach morning} (30:17) and {So glorify the praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun} (20:130). This is supported by the fact that this Surah was among the last revealed, and the Prophet (PBUH) often repeated in his final illness: "Prayer, and what your right hands possess." Furthermore, some interpreted it as the Prayer of Gratitude performed on the Day of the Conquest (eight rak'ahs), or the Duha prayer, or eight rak'ahs combining gratitude and Duha. Prayer is called glorification because it is inseparable from it, and it signals that one's prayer must be purified from all deficiencies in speech and action.

Evidence for the first view (Tanzīh): Numerous narrations confirm this. 'A'ishah reported that after this Surah was revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) frequently said in bowing and prostration: "Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You; I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You." She also reported that in his final state, he constantly said: "Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him." When asked why, he replied, "I was commanded to do so," and recited: {When the victory of Allah comes...}. Ibn Mas'ud reported that after this Surah was revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) often said: "Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You; O Allah, forgive me, for indeed You are the Acceptor of repentance, the Forgiving." It is narrated that he used to say: "I seek forgiveness from Allah one hundred times every day."

Issue 3: The Virtue of Glorification and Praise

The verse indicates the great virtue of glorification and praise, as they are sufficient for fulfilling the required gratitude for the blessing of victory and conquest. This is analogous to the statement: "Fasting is for Me" (a great honor for fasting, as it is attributed to God's Essence).

The verse equates the core of Prayer (Ṣalāh) with fasting in this honor: {and that the places of prostration are for Allah} (72:18). This suggests that Prayer is far superior to fasting. Moreover, Prayer is the core of remembrance (Adhkār), as stated: {and the remembrance of Allah is greater} (29:45). How could it be otherwise, when praising Him is inherently commendable by intellect and Sharia? The manner of Prayer, however, can only be known through revelation, which is why Prayer is described as being inlaid with glorification and magnification.

Objection: If glorification is not obligatory, does that imply it is of a lower rank than other parts of the prayer?

Answers:

1. The heart is naturally inclined towards glorification and declaration of oneness (Tahlīl), whereas other parts of prayer require external compulsion (obligation) because the heart might not incline towards them. Thus, natural love suffices, as indicated by: {But those who have believed are stronger in love for Allah} (2:165).
2. The command {So glorify} is an absolute command, which jurists hold to imply obligation. Even those who hold the absolute command implies recommendation (Nadb) agree it implies obligation here due to its conjunction with seeking forgiveness, which is obligatory. The nature of conjunction requires sharing the ruling.
3. If it were obligatory, the punishment for abandoning it would be a greater display of its high status. Therefore, obligation was omitted to avoid this potential consequence.

Issue 4: Interpretations of {So glorify the praise of your Lord}

Several interpretations exist for the phrase {So glorify the praise of your Lord}:

1. Al-Kashshāf's view: Say, "Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah," marveling at the wonders of His blessings. Combining them is like saying, "I drank water mixed with milk" (combining and consuming them together).
2. Inclusion: If you praise God, you have already glorified Him, because praise necessarily includes declaring Him transcendent from defects, as He is only worthy of praise if He is free from imperfection. This is why the opening of the Qur'an begins with praise (Al-Ḥamdu Lillāh), and when Mecca was conquered, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Praise be to Allah Who granted victory to His servant," rather than beginning with glorification. Thus, {So glorify the praise of your Lord} means: Glorify Him by means of praising Him.
3. A State (Ḥāl): Meaning: Glorify while praising (like saying, "Go out with your weapon," meaning, "Go out armed").
4. Anticipation: Glorify, intending to praise Him immediately afterward. Just as one intends to sacrifice after the prayer on the Day of Sacrifice, intending both acts simultaneously earns both rewards. Here, the intention for praise follows the glorification immediately.
5. The Bā' of Aid: This Bā' signifies that the glorification is done by the praise of God, meaning through His guidance, favor, and grace, not through the praise of anyone else. This is similar to 'A'ishah's statement regarding the slander incident: "Praise be to Allah, not praise to you." It means: Glorify Him by His praise, as He is the one who guided you, not others. This is supported by the narration that the Prophet (PBUH) used to say: "Praise be to Allah for the praise of Allah."
6. Command from the Lord: Al-Suddi narrated that {with the praise of your Lord} means: by the command of your Lord.
7. *Superfluous Bā':* If the Bā' is superfluous, the phrase means: "Glorify the praise of your Lord." This yields further possibilities:
   • Choose the purest and most excellent praises for Him.
   • Purify your praises of God from ostentation (Riyā') and seeking worldly gain through mentioning them.
   • Purify your praises of God from claiming that you praised Him as He deserves, referencing: {And they have not appraised Allah with His true appraisal} (6:91).
8. Substitution for Praise: It means: Offer glorification instead of the obligatory praise. Since God's blessings are infinite, praising them fully is beyond human capacity (as {If you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them} (14:34)). Therefore, God commands glorification and transcendence as a substitute for the impossible praise.
9. Simultaneous Occurrence: This indicates that glorification and praise cannot be separated or performed sequentially; they must occur together, like having the right of preemption and the right to return defective goods—one must choose both simultaneously. Thus, {So glorify the praise of your Lord} makes them occur together, making the speaker both praiser and glorifier at the same moment.
10. Purification of the Heart: It means: Purify your heart by contemplating the praise of your Lord. When you see that everything comes from God, your heart is purified from reliance on your own effort. Thus, {So glorify} points to the negation of everything besides God, and {with the praise of your Lord} points to seeing all things as originating from God.

Issue 5: The Meaning of {And seek His forgiveness}

There are several interpretations:

1. The Prophet (PBUH) might have wished for vengeance against his tormentors and asked God for victory. When he heard {When the victory of Allah comes}, he rejoiced. However, if this good news were coupled with a condition of not taking vengeance, the joy would be diminished. The verse then mentions people entering God's religion in droves and commands him to seek forgiveness for those entering. Since seeking forgiveness for someone without sin is inappropriate, the Prophet (PBUH) understood that God was guiding him toward pardon and abandoning vengeance. How could he seek forgiveness for them if he were busy taking revenge? The verse concludes with {the Ever-Accepting of repentance} (Tawwāb), implying that accepting repentance is His profession; He grants it to anyone who seeks it, whether they were enemies (Meccans) or allies. The Prophet (PBUH) implemented this when the Meccans came to him, saying: {No blame will there be upon you today. May Allah forgive you} (12:92).
2. For Himself or His Nation:
   • For Himself: If he committed a sin, seeking forgiveness makes his small sins smaller, or it serves as compensation so that nothing is deducted from his reward. If he committed no sin (as many hold), then:
     • His seeking forgiveness is like glorification, as he is describing God as Forgiving (Ghaffār).
     • God commanded him to do so so that others would emulate him, as every accountable person might fall short in worship. This shows that even with his utmost effort and infallibility, he did not dispense with seeking forgiveness, let alone others.
     • It was for abandoning the better course of action.
     • It was because when his obedience is weighed against God's grace, it is found wanting in fulfilling the gratitude due for that blessing.
     • It was for shortcomings in the spiritual journey (Sulūk). When a traveler reaches a high station in servitude and then moves beyond it, they see that previous station as deficient and seek forgiveness for it. Since the stages of ascent to God are infinite, the stages of this seeking forgiveness are also infinite.
   • For His Nation: This is apparent, as God commanded him to seek forgiveness for his nation in {and seek forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women} (47:19). Here, as the nation grew larger, this seeking forgiveness became more necessary and important. It is also possible that the command covers both himself and his nation.

Issue 6: The Apparent Contradiction in Order

There is a difficulty: Repentance (Tawbah) precedes all acts of obedience, and Praise (Hamd) precedes Glorification (Tasbīh) because praise results from receiving blessings, which can come from the transcendent or the created. Therefore, the order should be: Seeking Forgiveness \rightarrow Praise \rightarrow$ Glorification. Why is the order reversed?

Answers:

1. Descending from the Noble: The verse begins with the noblest concept descending to the least noble, indicating that the descent from Creator to creation is nobler than the ascent from creation to Creator.
2. Sin in Obedience: It signals that the glorification and praise offered by the servant, when contrasted with God's Majesty and Might, become equivalent to sin itself, necessitating seeking forgiveness for them.
3. Majesty vs. Mercy: Glorification and Praise point to magnifying God's command (like Prayer), while Seeking Forgiveness points to compassion for God's creation (like Zakat). Just as Prayer precedes Zakat, so too does the sequence here.

Issue 7: The Obligation of Public Declaration

The verse indicates that the Prophet (PBUH) was obligated to announce the glorification and seeking forgiveness publicly:

1. He was commanded to deliver the entire Surah to the Ummah so that the transmission of the Qur'an would be continuous and to confirm he perfectly conveyed the revelation. Thus, he had to perform the glorification and seeking forgiveness openly to achieve this goal.
2. A primary objective is for the Prophet (PBUH) to be an exemplar for the Ummah, so they renew their thanks and praise upon receiving blessings, just as he did during times of ease and hardship.
3. Usually, one offers praise at the beginning of an event. God commanded His Messenger to offer praise and seek forgiveness constantly and at all times to differentiate him from others. Then, He commanded seeking forgiveness when his death was announced to him, so that the Ummah would do the same when their appointed times approached.

Issue 8: Questions Regarding {Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance}

1. Why is the past tense used (Kāna - was accepting) when we need acceptance in the future?
2. Why did God say (Tawwāb - Ever-Accepting of repentance) instead of (Ghaffār - Forgiving), as in Surah Nuh?
3. Why did God say {The victory of Allah} and {in the religion of Allah}, but then say {with the praise of your Lord} instead of {with the praise of Allah}?

Answers to Q1 (Past Tense):

1. It is more emphatic: "Did I not already praise you as the {best nation produced [as an example] for mankind} (3:110)? If I accepted the repentance of those lesser than you—like the Jews, who disobeyed their Lord after witnessing great miracles, the splitting of the sea, the lifting of the mountain, and the descent of Manna and Quail—will I not accept yours?"
2. I have long established the practice of accepting the repentance of sinners; this established practice necessitates acceptance from you.
3. "I was accepting repentance before I commanded you to seek forgiveness; will I not accept it now that I have commanded you?"
4. It signals the mitigation of their offense: "You are not the first to sin and repent; it is my profession." When a calamity is intentional, it is less severe.
5. It is like saying: "God has done well in the past, and likewise, He will do well in what remains."

Answers to Q2 (Tawwāb vs. Ghaffār):

1. Perhaps this is to grant this Ummah a special honor. "Forgiving" (Ghaffār) is not typically used for a servant's attribute, but "Accepting of repentance" (Tawwāb) is used for one who performs repentance. God is saying: "From the beginning, you were striving to be like Me; you are a believer, and I am the Acceptor of repentance. Strive until the end, so you become like Me, and I am like you (in striving/acceptance)." Furthermore, for God, Tawwāb means He accepts repentance frequently, signaling that the servant's repentance must also be frequent.
2. Tawwāb is used because a person might say, "I seek forgiveness" (Astaghfir) without actually repenting. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The one who seeks forgiveness with his tongue while persisting in sin is like one who mocks his Lord." If one says, "I repent" (Atūb), they might be lying, as repentance (Tawbah) is defined as returning and regret. Thus, the meaning is: "Seek forgiveness with repentance." This emphasizes that the conclusion of deeds must be with repentance and seeking forgiveness. It is narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) never sat in a gathering without concluding it with seeking forgiveness.

Answer to Q3 (Lord vs. Allah): God maintained justice: He mentioned the name of the Essence (Allāh) twice and the name of the Action/Attribute twice (Rabb and Tawwāb). Since nurturing (Tarbiyah - Lordship) occurs first, and accepting repentance (Tawwāb) occurs last, He mentioned the name Lord first and the name Acceptor of Repentance last.

Issue 9: The Companions' Understanding of the Surah as an Announcement of Death

The Companions agreed that this Surah indicated the announcement of the Prophet's (PBUH) impending death. Al-'Abbās wept upon hearing it, and when the Prophet (PBUH) asked why, he said, "Your own death has been announced to you." The Prophet (PBUH) confirmed this. Ibn 'Abbās also stated this, earning praise from the Prophet (PBUH). 'Umar used to hold Ibn 'Abbās in high regard. One day, when Ibn 'Abbās was present with the veterans of Badr, 'Abdur-Raḥmān questioned his inclusion. 'Umar explained it was due to his knowledge. Ibn 'Abbās asked the veterans about the meaning of {When the victory of Allah comes}, and they said it meant God commanded the Prophet (PBUH) to seek forgiveness and repent after the conquest. Ibn 'Abbās disagreed, saying, "It is not so; rather, his death has been announced to him." 'Umar replied, "I know nothing other than what you know."

When this Surah was revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) gave a sermon saying: "Allah has given a servant the choice between this world and meeting Him in the Hereafter, and he chose to meet Allah."

How was this understood from the Surah?

1. The Companions understood it from the narration that the Prophet (PBUH) gave this choice in a sermon immediately following the Surah's revelation.
2. The mention of victory, conquest, and people entering the religion in droves signifies the completion and perfection of the mission. Perfection is often followed by cessation, as the saying goes: "When a thing is complete, its decline approaches."
3. He was commanded to engage in glorification, praise, and seeking forgiveness absolutely (without specific context). This preoccupation prevents him from focusing on the Ummah's affairs, signaling that the mission of conveying the message is complete. If he remained afterward, he would be like one dismissed from prophethood, which is impossible.
4. {And seek His forgiveness} is a signal of the approaching end, as if to say: "The time is near, the departure is imminent; prepare for the matter." It warns him that the wise person, when their end approaches, should increase repentance.
5. It is as if God said: "Your ultimate worldly desire—victory, conquest, and dominion—has been achieved. God promised you: {And the Hereafter is better for you than the first} (93:4). Since you have attained your utmost worldly goal, transition to the Hereafter to attain those high felicities."

Issue 10: Timing of Revelation

We mentioned that the soundest opinion is that the Surah was revealed before the Conquest of Mecca. Those who claim it was revealed after the Conquest mention:

• Al-Māwardī stated that the Prophet (PBUH) did not live more than sixty days after its revelation, during which he constantly engaged in glorification and seeking forgiveness.
• Muqātil stated he lived about a year afterward, after which {Today I have perfected for you your religion} (5:3) was revealed. He lived eighty days after that, then the verse of Kalālah was revealed, and he lived fifty days after that. Then {There has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves} (9:128) was revealed, and he lived thirty-five days after that. Then {And fear a Day when you will return to Allah} (2:281) was revealed, and he lived eleven days after that (or seven days in another narration). And Allah knows best how this occurred.